Today is President's Day here in the U.S. My family and I are sharing "Presidential Trivia" questions during the day via my 8 year old's favorite medium for communication- her whiteboard.

Turns out that Harry Truman used to get up at 5am each day to play the piano for two hours. Who knew?

If anyone faces pressure on a given day, I would think that the President of the United States ranks at the top of that list. How do you deal with pressure on a daily basis? How do I deal with it?

Here are some very simple strategies for taming the pressure dragon- you'll notice that many have a similar theme: automation. To the degree that you can automate daily living, you'll cut down on pressure and that feeling of heavy overwhelm.

-get up at the same time every workday

-maintain a simple wardrobe

-keep a simple, short to-do list

-put things away in whichever space you work

-get enough sleep

-workout on a regular basis

-make contact with your friends at least monthly

-worship God in public at least once a week

-stick with a simple diet

-keep your car maintained and clean

-do something that you like every day

-surround yourself with tools and gadgets that help you work efficiently

-enjoy art

-listen to music

-stretch

-practice solitude

-get outdoors

-spend time with your pet (or even someone else's!)

-prepare a meal for someone you love

-do something of service for someone else

None of these are rocket science. You can do probably 2-3 today without even trying. Whether your pressure is from work or from a commitment that is difficult to manage, you can fight back (gently) by practicing several of the strategies above.

Action follow up: what is the primary source of your pressure? How will you push back on it this week?